100 Best Macroeconomics Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

Steven D. Levitt

5.0

Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? What kind of impact did Roe v. Wade have on violent crime? Freakonomics will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.

These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven

Recommended by Malcolm Gladwell, Daymond John, Ev Williams, and 12 others.

Malcolm Gladwell

Writer & Journalist

I don’t need to say much here. This book invented an entire genre. Economics was never supposed to be this entertaining. [source]

Daymond John

Founder/FUBU

I love newer books like this book. [source]

James Altucher

Founder/StockPickr

James Altucher recommended this book on the podcast "The Tim Ferriss Show". [source]

2

The Wealth of Nations

Adam Smith

4.8

Preview Summary

In his book, Smith fervently extolled the simple yet enlightened notion that individuals are fully capable of setting and regulating prices for their own goods and services. He argued passionately in favor of free trade, yet stood up for the little guy. The Wealth of Nations provided the first--and still the most eloquent--integrated description of the workings of a market economy.

Recommended by Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and 10 others.

Barack Obama

Former USA President

Obama, unsurprisingly, appears to be more drawn to stories sympathetic to the working classes than is McCain. Obama cites John Steinbeck’s “In Dubious Battle,” about a labor dispute; Robert Caro’s “Power Broker,” about Robert Moses; and Studs Terkel’s “Working.” But he also includes Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” and “Theory of Moral Sentiments” on his list. [source]

Elon Musk

Founder/SpaceX

Adam Smith FTW obv. [source]

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Astrophysicist, Author & Science Communicator

Which books should be read by every single intelligent person on planet? … The Wealth of Nations (Smith) to learn that capitalism is an economy of greed, a force of nature unto itself. If you read all of the above works you will glean profound insight into most of what has driven the history of the western world. [source]

3

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty

Daron Acemoglu

4.8

Preview Summary

Brilliant and engagingly written, Why Nations Fail answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine?

Is it culture, the weather, geography? Perhaps ignorance of what the right policies are?

Simply, no. None of these factors is either definitive or destiny. Otherwise, how t

Recommended by Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Daron Acemoglu, and 5 others.

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

"I read two books that raise big, interesting questions about social change and technological progress. I’m planning to write longer reviews of each of these books, but let me flag them for you now. One is Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson.The topic of this book is why some countries have prospered and created great living conditions for their citizens while others have not. This is an important topic, which I care a lot about. The book makes an appealing argument that economic development depends on political institutions that protect individual rights. It is well written and very easy to read with lots of interesting historical stories about different countries. But it is a major disappointment. Its analysis is vague and simplistic. I’ll explain more in a longer review." [source]

Mark Zuckerberg

Founder/Facebook

My next book for A Year of Books is Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoğlu and James A. Robinson. This book explores the different kinds of social institutions and incentives that nations have applied to encourage prosperity, economic development and elimination of poverty. This is a good complement to our last book, Portfolios of the Poor, which focused on how people live in poverty. This one discusses why poverty exists and how to reduce it. [source]

Daron Acemoglu

In terms of understanding this top inequality, I mentioned the possibility that it might be about politics. How should we think about politics? What are the levers of politics? For that we need a conceptual framework and that’s what this book tries to provide. It’s co-authored with my long-term collaborator and friend Jim Robinson – and it’s not about US or UK or Canadian inequality. It runs through several thousand years of history, and tries to explain how societies work and why, often, they fail to generate prosperity for their citizens. It’s a very political story. [source]

4

Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets

Nassim Nicholas Taleb

4.7

Preview Summary

Fooled by Randomness is a standalone book in Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s landmark Incerto series, an investigation of opacity, luck, uncertainty, probability, human error, risk, and decision-making in a world we don’t understand. The other books in the series are The Black Swan, Antifragile, and The Bed of Procrustes.

Now in a striking new hardcover edition, Fooled by Randomness is the word-of-mouth se

Recommended by Malcolm Gladwell, Ev Williams, James Altucher, and 6 others.

James Altucher

Founder/StockPickr

And throw in “The Black Swan” and “Fooled by Randomness”. “Fragile” means if you hit something might break. “Resilient” means if you hit something, it will stay the same. On my podcast Nassim discusses “Antifragility” – building a system, even on that works for you on a personal level, where you if you harm your self in some way it becomes stronger. That podcast changed my life He discusses Antifragility throughout history, up to our current economic situation, and even in our personal situations. [source]

Anant Jain

The five-book series, "Incerto", by Nassim Nicholas Taleb has had a profound impact on how I think about the world. There’s some overlap across the books — but you'll likely find the repetition helpful in retaining the content better. [source]

Art De Vany

I used this book is a class I taught on the economics of uncertainty. [source]

5

Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty

Abhijit Banerjee

4.7

Preview Summary

Winner of the 2011 Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Best Business Book of the Year Award

Billions of government dollars, and thousands of charitable organizations and NGOs, are dedicated to helping the world's poor. But much of their work is based on assumptions that are untested generalizations at best, harmful misperceptions at worst.

Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo have pioneered the use of random

Recommended by Bill Gates and Harini Calamur.

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

Does a great job of bringing alive the complexities of poor people’s lives. [source]

Harini Calamur

@ask0704 Read his book. I don't agree with some of the things he says. But, it is a great read on understanding poverty [source]

6

The Sovereign Individual: How to Survive and Thrive During the Collapse of the Welfare State

James Dale Davidson

4.7

Preview Summary

In Blood in the Streets and The Great Reckoning, Davidson and Rees-Mogg foresaw many of the cataclysmic effects of the shift from an industrial to an information-based society. In their new book, they prepare readers for the chaotic upheaval that lies ahead and outline the far-reaching, practical consequences of adapting for the new global economy and the information age.

Recommended by Marc Andreessen, Peter Thiel, Marvin Liao, and 2 others.

Marc Andreessen

Co-Founder/Andreessen Horowitz

The Sovereign Individual—written 20 years ago, this is the most thought provoking book on the unfolding nature of the 21st Century that I’ve yet read. It’s packed with ideas on every page, many that are now fast becoming conventional wisdom, and many that are still heretical. Two related books to read are The Twilight of Sovereignty and Cryptonomicon. [source]

Marvin Liao

Partner/500 Startups

The Joy of Not Working (Zelinkski), Flash Foresight (Burrus), The Art of Worldly Wisdom (Gracian), Sapiens (Yuval), The End of Jobs (Pearson), Deep Work (Newport), Sovereign Individual (Davidson), The Fourth Economy (Davison) & The Monk & the Riddle (Komisar). Every single one of these books completely changed how I looked at everything in the world & literally pushed my life in a new direction. They were Paradigm Shifting as they say. (hate that word but it really was a Paradigm Shift for me). [source]

James Stanley

Favourite non-business book is "The Sovereign Individual" by James Dale Davision and William Rees-Mogg. Written in 1996, there's a page in it that predicts the rise of what they call "cybermoney" (but what we now know as "cryptocurrency") in affording individuals freedom over their money without being subject to coercion or surveillance by banks, governments, etc. Apart from that, there are lots of very astute observations and predictions throughout the book. Its either utopian or dystopian depending on your politics :) [source]

7

Economics in One Lesson

Henry Hazlitt

4.7

Preview Summary

Here is a publishing event: the new Mises Institute edition of the classic book that has taught many millions sound economic thinking. It is a hardbound volume, priced very low thanks to special benefactors, and now available in quantity discounts for distribution to your friends, family, and anyone you meet who needs to understand what economics implies for the society, government, and civilizati

Recommended by Ben Shapiro, Brian Tracy, and Chris Nichols.

Ben Shapiro

If you read this book and "Basic Economics" you'll know more than all or your classmates combined about the basic workings of free markets and economics. [source]

Chris Nichols

@fishin_me @IslesFGC @AsSeenOnTv55 @IlhanMN The best economic book written. [source]

8

The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness

Morgan Housel

4.6

Preview Summary

Doing well with money isn't necessarily about what you know. It's about how you behave. And behavior is hard to teach, even to really smart people. Money--investing, personal finance, and business decisions--is typically taught as a math-based field, where data and formulas tell us exactly what to do. But in the real world people don't make financial decisions on a spreadsheet. They make them at t

9

The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism

Naomi Klein

4.6

Preview Summary

In her ground-breaking reporting from Iraq, Naomi Klein exposed how the trauma of invasion was being exploited to remake the country in the interest of foreign corporations. She called it "disaster capitalism." Covering Sri Lanka in the wake of the tsunami, and New Orleans post-Katrina, she witnessed something remarkably similar. People still reeling from catastrophe were being hit again, this tim

Recommended by Donna Dickenson, George Monbiot, and Mat Whitecross.

Donna Dickenson

Naomi Klein’s argument is that capitalism actually requires deliberately engineered shocks to the economic systems. [source]

George Monbiot

The Shock Doctrine explains some of the mechanisms by which patrimonial capital acquires power and enhances its wealth. It’s a brilliant piece of work, and one of those rare books that changes the way you perceive the world. [source]

Mat Whitecross

It starts with the theory that moments of crisis have been utilised by the right wing in the US and other countries to manipulate people into following their agenda. [source]

10

Capitalism and Freedom

Milton Friedman

4.5

Preview Summary

Selected by the Times Literary Supplement as one of the "hundred most influential books since the war"

How can we benefit from the promise of government while avoiding the threat it poses to individual freedom? In this classic book, Milton Friedman provides the definitive statement of his immensely influential economic philosophy—one in which competitive capitalism serves as both a device for achie

Recommended by Karl Rove and Dan Sullivan.

Karl Rove

As soon as it became paperback. In fact I still have my paperback. [source]

11

The Case Against Socialism

Rand Paul

4.4

A recent poll showed 43% of Americans think more socialism would be a good thing. What do these people not know?

Socialism has killed millions, but it’s now the ideology du jour on American college campuses and among many leftists. Reintroduced by leaders such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the ideology manifests itself in starry-eyed calls for free-spending policies like Medicare

Recommended by Donald J. Trump, Arthur Schwartz, Cliff Maloney, and 2 others.

Donald J. Trump

USA President

Senator Rand Paul just wrote a great book, “The Case Against Socialism” which is now out. Highly recommended – as America was founded on LIBERTY & INDEPENDENCE – not government coercion, domination & control. We were born free, and will stay free, as long as I am your President! [source]

Arthur Schwartz

Senator @RandPaul has a great new book on the dangers of Socialism. If you don’t want the Bernie & AOC crowd to implement Stalin’s policies in America get a copy now. https://t.co/3ueycKCR1d [source]

Cliff Maloney

Spent time in NYC with the great @KelleyAshbyPaul and @RandPaul discussing their new book: “THE CASE AGAINST SOCIALISM” A great read for Americans interested in how incentives and markets actually work #MakeLibertyWin @YALiberty https://t.co/Kl4dGei4jQ [source]

12

The Communist Manifesto

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

4.4

Preview Summary

"A spectre is haunting Europe," Karl Marx and Frederic Engels wrote in 1848, "the spectre of Communism." This new edition of The Communist Manifesto, commemorating the 150th anniversary of its publication, includes an introduction by renowned historian Eric Hobsbawm which reminds us of the document's continued relevance. Marx and Engels's critique of capitalism and its deleterious effect on all as

Recommended by Felipe Fernández-Armesto and Peter Singer.

Felipe Fernández-Armesto

Marx and Engels’s historical analysis is breathtakingly, brilliantly simple. I think it’s wrong but, again, you’ve just got to admire its genius. Obviously, without understanding the historical basis of Marx’s thought you can’t understand anything else in Marxism. [source]

Peter Singer

Yes, it is. I chose The Communist Manifesto, rather than, say, Capital because it shows in a much easier-to-read, shorter work something that is central to Marx’s vision. Capital is much drier, and a lot of it is focused on economics, although there are some remarkable passages of Capital describing the conditions of industrial workers in England at the time. [source]

13

The Road to Serfdom: Text and Documents--The Definitive Edition

F. A. Hayek

4.4

An unimpeachable classic work in political philosophy, intellectual and cultural history, and economics, The Road to Serfdom has inspired and infuriated politicians, scholars, and general readers for half a century. Originally published in 1944—when Eleanor Roosevelt supported the efforts of Stalin, and Albert Einstein subscribed lock, stock, and barrel to the socialist program—The Road to Serfdom

Recommended by Dan Sullivan, Geoffrey Miller, Mitch Daniels, and 1 others.

Geoffrey Miller

@bdmarotta No, The Road to Serfdom by Hayek is the best book on modern evil [source]

Mitch Daniels

This book convincingly demonstrated what was already intuitive to me: namely, the utter futility, the illusion of government planning as a mechanism for uplifting those less fortunate. [source]

Yuval Levin

The Road to Serfdom is a very polemical book. It was published in 1944. It’s a warning not exactly about Communism, but about the coming of statism in the West, about the ways that some of the governing élites that Hayek saw, especially in Britain, thought about governing. The book is really mostly about Britain. He talks about the dangers of central planning, of the attempt to take over the economic life of a society and to try and control it from the centre. It’s a book that is properly understood as a libertarian book, but it’s not libertarian in the way that a lot of contemporary libertarians would define themselves. It is a very, very sceptical book, and a very modest book. In a way, Hayek argues for limited government because he has a very limited view of human nature and human knowledge. I think he would call himself a Whig. I think he actually did call himself a Whig, when he was asked whether he was a libertarian or a conservative. It’s a book that shows that at its best, the libertarian strain of conservatism is a form of scepticism rather than of utopianism. [source]

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14

Principles of Macroeconomics

N. Gregory Mankiw

4.3

With its clear and engaging writing style, PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS, Seventh Edition, continues to be the most popular and widely-used economics textbook among today's students. Mankiw emphasizes material that you are likely to find interesting about the economy (particularly if you are studying economics for the first time), including real-life scenarios, useful facts, and the many ways econo

15

The Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail

Ray Dalio

4.3

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Principles and legendary investor Ray Dalio, who has spent half a century studying global markets, The Changing World Order examines history’s most turbulent economic and political periods to reveal why the times ahead will likely be radically different from those we’ve experienced in our lifetimes.

A few years ago, renowned investor Ray Dalio began

16

Mastering the Market Cycle: Getting the Odds on Your Side

Howard Marks

4.3

Preview Summary

The legendary investor shows how to identify and master the cycles that govern the markets.

We all know markets rise and fall, but when should you pull out, and when should you stay in? The answer is never black or white, but is best reached through a keen understanding of the reasons behind the rhythm of cycles. Confidence about where we are in a cycle comes when you learn the patterns of ups and

Recommended by Charlie Munger, Warren Buffett, and Ray Dalio.

Charlie Munger

Vice Chairman/Berkshire Hathaway

I always say, ‘There’s no better teacher than history in determining the future.’ Howard’s book tells us how to learn from history . . . and thus get a better idea of what the future holds. [source]

Warren Buffett

CEO/Berkshire Hathaway

When I see memos from Howard Marks in my mail, they’re the first thing I open and read. I always learn something, and that goes double for his book. [source]

Ray Dalio

Founder/Bridgewater Associates

Howard Marks’s Mastering the Market Cycle is a must-read, because the cycles covered in this book are important and because Howard is one of the investing greats of his generation. [source]

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17

Applied Financial Macroeconomics and Investment Strategy: A Practitioner's Guide to Tactical Asset Allocation

T. McGee

4.2

The absolute and relative performance of various asset classes is systematically related to macroeconomic trends. In this new book, Robert McGee provides a thorough guide to each stage of the business cycle and analyzes the investment implications using real-world examples linking economic dynamics to investment results.

Cover unavailable

18

Cracking the AP Economics Micro & Macro Exams, 2020 Edition: Practice Tests & Proven Techniques to Help You Score a 5

The Princeton Review

4.2

THIS JUST IN! As of 3/20/20, in response to the novel coronavirus (covid-19), the College Board has decided to administer all 2020 exams online. You'll still be able to prep with this book! But for your best results, you'll want to modify what you're focusing on (both question types and content). Remember, everyone's in the same boat, so just do your best and keep practicing. You've got

19

Discrimination and Disparities

Thomas Sowell

4.2

An enlarged edition of Thomas Sowell's brilliant examination of the origins of economic disparities

Economic and other outcomes differ vastly among individuals, groups, and nations. Many explanations have been offered for the differences. Some believe that those with less fortunate outcomes are victims of genetics. Others believe that those who are less fortunate are victims of the more fortunate

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20

The Big Print: What Happened To America And How Sound Money Will Fix It

Lawrence Lepard

4.2

21

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

John Perkins

4.2

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man reveals a game that, according to John Perkins, is "as old as Empire" but has taken on new and terrifying dimensions in an era of globalization. Perkins should know. For many years he worked for an international consulting firm where his main job was to convince LDCs (less developed countries) around the world to accept multibillion-dollar loans for infrastructur

Recommended by Marc Andreessen and Anurag Ramdasan.

Anurag Ramdasan

Amazing insights into the economic warfare cast over the last few decades and its implications on the world in different ways

22

The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World

Niall Ferguson

4.2

Niall Ferguson follows the money to tell the human story behind the evolution of finance, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to the latest upheavals on what he calls Planet Finance. Bread, cash, dosh, dough, loot, lucre, moolah, readies, the wherewithal: Call it what you like, it matters. To Christians, love of it is the root of all evil. To generals, it’s the sinews of war. To revolutionarie

Recommended by Max Levchin, Muhtar Kent, and 1 others.

Max Levchin

Co-founder/PayPal, CEO/Affirm, Investor

Max Levchin recommended this book as an answer to "What business books would you advise young entrepreneurs read?" [source]

Muhtar Kent

Former CEO/Coca-Cola

CEO considers it a great read. [source]

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23

Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism

Vladimir Lenin

4.2

24

The Prosperity Paradox: How Innovation Can Lift Nations Out of Poverty

Clayton M. Christensen

4.2

Clayton M. Christensen, the author of such business classics as The Innovator’s Dilemma and the New York Times bestseller How Will You Measure Your Life, and co-authors Efosa Ojomo and Karen Dillon reveal why so many investments in economic development fail to generate sustainable prosperity, and offers a groundbreaking solution for true and lasting change.

Global poverty is one of the world’s most

Recommended by Eric Schmidt, Arianna Huffington, Steve Case, and 4 others.

Eric Schmidt

CEO/Google

Clayton Christensen's latest book The Prosperity Paradox is a must-read. Powerful, persuasive, andwonderfully written, Christensen and his coauthors make a compelling case for the game-changing roleof innovation in some of the world's most desperate economies. [source]

Arianna Huffington

Founder/The Huffington Post

The Prosperity Paradox has the power to transform our thinking about philanthropy and social good. Aswe continue to grapple with how to lift people out of poverty, Clay Christensen, Efosa Ojomo and KarenDillon provide a new and innovative solution for millions of people around the world. It's a must-readfor anyone with an interest in global affairs who wants to create a truly thriving society. [source]

Steve Case

CEO/Revolution, Co-founder/AOL

The rise of any economy, local or global, must be fueled by innovative entrepreneurs willing to buildnew markets. With The Prosperity Paradox, Christensen, Ojomo, and Dillon offer powerful insight andguidance on how we can channel our efforts to create jobs, generate growth, and impact individual livesall over the world. [source]

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25

Charter Schools and Their Enemies

Thomas Sowell

4.2

The black-white educational achievement gap -- so much discussed for so many years -- has already been closed by black students attending New York City's charter schools. This might be expected to be welcome news. But it has been very unwelcome news in traditional public schools whose students are transferring to charter schools. A backlash against charter schools has been led by teachers unions,

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26

The Great Gold & Silver Rush of the 21st Century

Mike Maloney

4.2

27

Economic Facts and Fallacies

Sowell

4.2

Thomas Sowell's indispensable examination of the most popular economic fallacies

In Economic Facts and Fallacies, Thomas Sowell exposes some of the most popular fallacies about economic issues in a lively manner that does not require any prior knowledge of economics. These fallacies include many beliefs widely disseminated in the media and by politicians, such as fallacies about urban problems, i

28

The End of Poverty

Jeffrey Sachs

4.2

The landmark exploration of economic prosperity and how the world can escape from extreme poverty for the world's poorest citizens, from one of the world's most renowned economists

Hailed by Time as one of the world's hundred most influential people, Jeffrey D. Sachs is renowned for his work around the globe advising economies in crisis. Now a classic of its genre, The End of Poverty distills more

Recommended by Bill Gates, Gretchen Peters, Jeffrey D Sachs, and 1 others.

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

On Bill Gates's reading list in 2011. [source]

Gretchen Peters

Jeffrey Sachs gives a fascinating and very basic new way of looking at development. Essentially, we all benefit when the poorest people are better off. [source]

Jeffrey D Sachs

The book is an attempt to put forward this proposition that we have in our hands now the means to end extreme poverty within our generation. [source]

29

Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises

Charles P. Kindleberger

4.2

The best known and most highly regarded book on financial crises

Financial crises and speculative excess can be traced back to the very beginning of trade and commerce. Since its introduction in 1978, this book has charted and followed this volatile world of financial markets. Charles Kindleberger's brilliant, panoramic history revealed how financial crises follow a nature-like rhythm: they peak a

Recommended by Charles Morris, Larry Summers, and Marc Faber.

Charles Morris

Kindleberger’s great virtue is that he was both a respected economist and a student of human nature, and he knew that human nature could never be bottled up in an economic model. His book is a terrific narrative of a series of bubbles, going back to pre-industrial days – the Dutch tulip craze, the South Sea bubble, and so forth.. [source]

Larry Summers

Kindleberger’s message is that complacency can be a self-denying prophecy. [source]

Marc Faber

He describes very well how these manias occur and what the symptoms are of manias in terms of excessive speculation, overleverage, borrowing, fraud, embezzlement, high trading volumes, and so forth. [source]

30

The Entropy Trap: What Physics Knows that Markets Don't

Mickey M Maini

4.2

The Entropy Trap explains why some periods in history are not normal cycles, but moments when the system itself begins to change. Financial systems, currencies, political orders, and societies can appear stable for years while stress builds underneath. Then, like an avalanche, the change appears sudden even though the pressure was building for a long time.The book’s unique lens is science. It uses

31

"Trickle Down Theory" and "Tax Cuts for the Rich"

Thomas Sowell

4.1

This essay unscrambles gross misconceptions that have made rational debates about tax policies virtually impossible for decades.

32

This Time Is Different: Eight Centuries of Financial Folly

Carmen Reinhart

4.1

Throughout history, rich and poor countries alike have been lending, borrowing, crashing--and recovering--their way through an extraordinary range of financial crises. Each time, the experts have chimed, "this time is different"--claiming that the old rules of valuation no longer apply and that the new situation bears little similarity to past disasters. With this breakthrough study, leading econo

Recommended by Bill Gates, Andrew W Lo, Charles Morris, and 2 others.

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

On Bill Gates's reading list in 2012. [source]

Andrew W Lo

They…took an enormous amount of time to put together datasets that allow us to look back eight centuries and ask, quantitatively, whether there are any common denominators to financial crises. And the not-surprising answer is, ‘Yes, absolutely.’ [source]

Charles Morris

The great thing that Rogoff and Reinhart have done is they’ve assembled this huge database. They’ve gone back 800 years and you can see roughly what’s been going on with government borrowing and lending over that time. [source]

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33

Generation Hope: How Inclusive Economics Can Help Us All Thrive

Arunjay Katakam

4.1

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34

Advanced Macroeconomics

David Romer

4.1

David Romer's Advanced Macroeconomics, 3e is the standard text and the starting point for graduate macro courses, and helps lay the groundwork for students to begin doing research in macroeconomics and monetary economics. A series of formal models are used to present and analyze important macroeconomic theories. The theories are supplemented by examples of relevant empirical work, which illustrate

35

Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World

Adam Tooze

4.1

"An intelligent explanation of the mechanisms that produced the crisis and the response to it...One of the great strengths of Tooze's book is to demonstrate the deeply intertwined nature of the European and American financial systems." --The New York Times Book Review

From a prizewinning economic historian, an eye-opening reinterpretation of the 2008 economic crisis (and its ten-year afterm

Recommended by Duncan Weldon.

Duncan Weldon

I’ve read Crashed and it’s fantastic (review out next month). This is really useful framing. The financial crisis might seem like an unusual “next book” after Adam’s history of 1916-1931 (The Deluge)- but capital flows sit at the heart of both of them. https://t.co/obS3fTxMPX [source]

36

Small Is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered

E. F. Schumacher

4.1

"Nothing less than a full-scale assault on conventional economic wisdom."
—Newsweek

One the 100 most influential books published since World War II
—The Times Literary Supplement

Hailed as an "eco-bible" by Time magazine, E.F. Schumacher's riveting, richly researched statement on sustainability has become more relevant and vital with each year since its initial groundbreaking publication during the 19

Recommended by Emma Watson.

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37

Why We’re Getting Poorer: A Realist’s Guide to the Economy and How We Can Fix It

Cahal Moran and William Collins

4.1

38

Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science

Charles Wheelan

4.1

At last! A new edition of the economics book that won’t put you to sleep. In fact, you won’t be able to put this bestseller down. In our challenging economic climate, this perennial favorite of students and general readers is more than a good read, it’s a necessary investment—with a blessedly sure rate of return. This revised and updated edition includes commentary on hot topics such as automation

39

The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money

John Maynard Keynes

4.1

Distinguished British economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946) set off a series of movements that drastically altered the ways in which economists view the world. In his most important work, The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (1936), Keynes critiqued the laissez-faire policies of his day, particularly the proposition that a normally functioning market economy would bring full e

Recommended by Eric Weinstein, Mark Blyth, and Paul Krugman.

Eric Weinstein

Managing Director/Thiel Capital

Folks frequently ask “What are the books that changed your life?” If I tell them, they are usually radically disappointed. I find that curious. I just cleared out of an office, and these are books that mattered enough to me to bring home. So here they are. [source]

Mark Blyth

This is an incredibly important book because it shows us that Adam Smith was only right in a special case. [source]

Paul Krugman

It is a difficult book, because it’s the first book that tries to figure this stuff out. You don’t teach Keynesian economics from Keynes anymore. Keynes was actually working on The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money before the Great Depression, but, obviously, the Great Depression gave it urgency. It’s a first stab – it’s one hell of a first stab – but because it is a first stab, it’s got all the awkwardnesses that go with that. He goes off on tangents that seemed important to him at the time, but don’t seem so important now. It’s not an easy read. [source]

40

Central Banking 101

Joseph J Wang

4.1

Central banking is magic. With a few words, the Fed can lift the stock market out of desperation and catapult it towards euphoric highs. With a few keystrokes, the Fed can conjure up trillions of dollars and fund virtually unlimited Federal spending. And with a few poor decisions, the Fed can plunge the entire world into a recession. The Federal Reserve is one of the most powerful institutions in

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41

Macroeconomics

Paul Krugman and Robin Wells

4.1

Enhance your comprehension of how economic concepts function today with the unique and impactful storytelling stye and digital resources from Macroeconomics.

42

The Economics Book: Big Ideas Simply Explained

DK

4.1

From Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas, to Adam Smith and John Maynard Keynes, to the top economic thought leaders of today, The Economics Book is the essential reference for students and anyone else with an interest in how economies work. Easy-to-follow graphics, succinct quotations, and thoroughly accessible text throw light on the applications of economics, making them relatable through everyday exa

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43

The Volatility Machine: Emerging Economics and the Threat of Financial Collapse

Michael Pettis

4.1

This book presents a radically different argument for what has caused, and likely will continue to cause, the collapse of emerging market economies. Pettis combines the insights of economic history, economic theory, and finance theory into a comprehensive model for understanding sovereign liability management and the causes of financial crises. He examines recent financial crises in emerging marke

Recommended by Jonathan Tepper.

Jonathan Tepper

I can’t believe I didn’t know Michael Pettis is on Twitter. He’s a must follow. I highly recommend his book The Volatility Machine if you want to understand emerging market crises. https://t.co/1ar5NepyDZ [source]

44

Capitalism for All: Inclusive Economics and the Future-Proofing of America

John Hope Bryant, Michael Milken (Foreword By) - introduction, Ed Bastian (Foreword By) - introduction, Andrew Young (Foreword By) - introduction

4.1

Capitalism For All by John Hope Bryant presents a revolutionary framework for rebuilding American prosperity through economic inclusion rather than division. As the founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, America's first nonprofit social investment banking organization, and a former vice-chairman of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, Bryant brings decades of frontline experience em

45

A Concise Guide to Macroeconomics: What Managers, Executives, and Students Need to Know

David A. Moss

4.1

Understanding the Ground Rules for the Global Economy

In this revised and updated edition of A Concise Guide to Macroeconomics, David A. Moss draws on his years of teaching at Harvard Business School to explain important macro concepts using clear and engaging language.

This guidebook covers the essentials of macroeconomics and examines, in a simple and intuitive way, the core ideas of output, money

46

Capital (Das Capital): Includes Vol.1,2,3 - Classics (Fingerprint Classics)

Karl Marx

4.1

Karl Marx’s Capital (Das Kapital) is one of the most influential works in political economy and philosophy. This comprehensive volume compiles all three volumes―Volume I: The Process of Capitalist Production, Volume II: The Circulation of Capital, and Volume III: The Overall Process of Capitalist Production―presenting Marx’s critique of capitalism in full depth.Marx analyzes how value is created,

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47

Animal Spirits: How Human Psychology Drives the Economy, and Why It Matters for Global Capitalism

George A. Akerlof

4.1

The global financial crisis has made it painfully clear that powerful psychological forces are imperiling the wealth of nations today. From blind faith in ever-rising housing prices to plummeting confidence in capital markets, "animal spirits" are driving financial events worldwide. In this book, acclaimed economists George Akerlof and Robert Shiller challenge the economic wisdom that got us into

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48

Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy

Joseph E. Stiglitz

4.1

Nobel Prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz explains the current financial crisis—and the coming global economic order.

The current global financial crisis carries a “made-in-America” label. In this forthright and incisive book, Nobel Laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz explains how America exported bad economics, bad policies, and bad behavior to the rest of the world, only to cobble together a haphazard and in

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49

Bitcoin: Hard Money You Can't F*ck With: Why bitcoin will be the next global reserve currency

Jason A. Williams

4.1

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50

The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008

Paul Krugman

4.1

In 1999, in The Return of Depression Economics, Paul Krugman surveyed the economic crises that had swept across Asia and Latin America, and pointed out that those crises were a warning for all of us: like diseases that have become resistant to antibiotics, the economic maladies that caused the Great Depression were making a comeback. In the years that followed, as Wall Street boomed and financial

51

Principles of Economics

Saifedean Ammous

4.1

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52

Intermediate Macroeconomics

Dennis W. Jansen, Charles D. Delorme, Robert B. Ekelund

4.1

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53

The Politically Incorrect Guide to Economics (The Politically Incorrect Guides)

Thomas J. DiLorenzo

4.1

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54

Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class

Owen Jones

4.1

In modern Britain, the working class has become an object of fear and ridicule. From Little Britain’s Vicky Pollard to the demonization of Jade Goody, media and politicians alike dismiss as feckless, criminalized and ignorant a vast, underprivileged swathe of society whose members have become stereotyped by one, hate-filled word: chavs.

In this groundbreaking investigation, Owen Jones explores how

Recommended by David Lammy.

David Lammy

Owen has written an outstanding book that is doing extremely well at the moment. It is seminal in the sense that it has captured the zeitgeist and is reaching deep places. That is because he taps into what is going on in Britain. More and more people define themselves as middle class, and as a consequence there is what appears to be an emerging “other” class. Class remains the unresolved wound that runs throughout British history, in the same sense that in the US, race is the subtext. Class is that for us. [source]

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55

Monetary Economics and Policy: A Foundation for Modern Currency Systems

Pierpaolo Benigno

4.1

56

The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World

Jacqueline Novogratz

4.1

For the first 5,000 copies of The Blue Sweater purchased, a $15 donation per book will be made to Acumen Fund, a nonprofit that invests in transformative businesses to solve the problems of poverty.

The Blue Sweater is the inspiring story of a woman who left a career in international banking to spend her life on a quest to understand global poverty and find powerful new ways of tackling it. It al

Recommended by Seth Godin and Nicholas Kristof.

Seth Godin

Author, Marketer, Entrepreneur

As we head toward the end of the year, I think you'll find inspiration in the work of people who show up and do the work. Daily. For decades. Jacqueline Novogratz and her classic book, The Blue Sweater continue to change lives. [source]

Nicholas Kristof

The Blue Sweater is a book by somebody who has really pioneered the use of business solutions to address poverty, Jacqueline Novogratz. [source]

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57

Geostrategy By Design: How to Manage Geopolitical Risk in The New Era of Globalization

Courtney Rickert McCaffrey

4.1

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58

Breakdown: The economic impact of peak oil

Tim Watkins

4.1

59

Clashing Over Commerce: A History of US Trade Policy (Markets and Governments in Economic History)

Douglas A. Irwin

4.0

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60

Macroeconomics for Professionals: A Guide for Analysts and Those Who Need to Understand Them

Leslie Lipschitz

4.0

Understanding macroeconomic developments and policies in the twenty-first century is daunting: policy-makers face the combined challenges of supporting economic activity and employment, keeping inflation low and risks of financial crises at bay, and navigating the ever-tighter linkages of globalization. Many professionals face demands to evaluate the implications of developments and policies for t

61

Hard Landing

Thomas Petzinger

4.0

In this updated paperback edition of a "rich, readable, and authoritative" Fortune) book, Wall Street Journal reporter Petzinger tells the dramatic story of how a dozen men, including Robert Crandall of American Airlines, Frank Borman of Eastern, and Richard Ferris of United, battled for control of the world's airlines. 416 pp. Radio drive-time pubilcity. 20,000 print.

From the Trade Paperback edit

Recommended by Matt Calkins.

Matt Calkins

I grabbed a bunch of books because I was writing a board game on building an airline in the 1930s. The dependence on experienced labor, and thus the vulnerability to strikes; the dependence on the cost of fuel, an enormous input that fluctuates; and nationalism, the fact that nations subsidize their airlines—these factors make the airline industry so vulnerable. [source]

62

Bitcoin Is For Everyone: Why our financial system is broken and Bitcoin is the solution

Natalie Brunell

4.0

63

The Price of Tomorrow: Why Deflation is the Key to an Abundant Future

Jeff Booth

4.0

64

23 Things They Don't Tell You about Capitalism

Ha-Joon Chang

4.0

Thing 1: There is no such thing as free market.
Thing 4: The washing machine has changed the world more than the Internet.
Thing 5: Assume the worst about people, and you get the worst.
Thing 13: Making rich people richer doesn't make the rest of us richer.

If you've wondered how we did not see the economic collapse coming, Ha-Joon Chang knows the answer: We didn't ask what they didn't tell us abou

Recommended by Lucas Morales.

Lucas Morales

Depending on your interest and goals, if you are like me and always looking for the trends in the big picture then I highly recommend being an active contrarian reader. Read what no one else is reading. Your goal is to think outside the box. To look at the world and ask “why hasn’t this been solved?” And that gives you a roadmap as to what opportunities may exist for your entrepreneurial efforts. So to that, here’s a snapshot, in no particular order, of what might help you push your intellectual boundaries: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism by Ha-Joon Chang Postcapitalism: A Guide to Our Future by Paul Mason Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty Who Gets What--And Why: The New Economics of Matchmaking and Market Design by Alvin E. Roth The Political Economy of Participatory Economics by Michael Albert and Robin Hahnel The Zero Marginal Cost Society: The Internet of Things, the Collaborative Commons, and the Eclipse of Capitalism by Jeremy Rifkin Why America Misunderstands the World by Paul R. Pillar A Theory of Justice by John Rawls Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall [source]

65

The Undercover Economist Strikes Back: How to Run-or Ruin-an Economy

Tim Harford

4.0

A provocative and lively exploration of the increasingly important world of macroeconomics, by the author of the bestselling The Undercover Economist.

Thanks to the worldwide financial upheaval, economics is no longer a topic we can ignore. From politicians to hedge-fund managers to middle-class IRA holders, everyone must pay attention to how and why the global economy works the way it does.

Enter

66

The Fiat Standard: Debt Slavery Alternative to Human Civilization

Saifedean Ammous

4.0

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67

Parks and Recreation and Economics (Routledge Economics and Popular Culture Series)

Jadrian Wooten

4.0

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68

Fictions of Financialization: Rethinking Speculation, Exploitation and Twenty-First-Century Capitalism

Nick Bernards

4.0

69

The Value of Everything: Making and Taking in the Global Economy

Mariana Mazzucato

4.0

Modern economies reward activities that extract value rather than create it. This must change to insure a capitalism that works for us all.

In this scathing indictment of our current global financial system, The Value of Everything rigorously scrutinizes the way in which economic value has been determined and reveals how the difference between value creation and value extraction has become increasi

Recommended by Pia Mancini.

Pia Mancini

@soulafloat @MazzucatoM @ValeriaLuiselli @MazzucatoM's one is great book! Super insightful. I'll add @ValeriaLuiselli to my list! Thank you [source]

70

$2.00 a Day: Living on Almost Nothing in America

Kathryn Edin

4.0

A revelatory account of poverty in America so deep that we, as a country, don’t think it exists

Jessica Compton’s family of four would have no cash income unless she donated plasma twice a week at her local donation center in Tennessee. Modonna Harris and her teenage daughter Brianna in Chicago often have no food but spoiled milk on weekends.

After two decades of brilliant research on American pove

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71

Business Cycles, Part II (The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek Book 8)

F. A. Hayek

4.0

72

Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (Bundled with Vladimir Ilyich Lenin Library)

Vladimir Ilich Lenin

4.0

This collection has an active table of contents for readers to access each chapter of each of the following books in the library:

1) Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism
2) The April Theses: The Tasks of the Proletariat in the Present Revolution
3) Materialism and Empirio-Criticism
4) The State and Revolution
5) WHAT IS TO BE DONE?

The above works details the complete aspects that Lenin contrib

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73

Palgrave Handbook of Econometrics: Volume 2: Applied Econometrics (Palgrave Handbook of Econometrics (Paperback))

Terence C. Mills and Kerry Patterson

4.0

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74

Globalization and its Discontents is a book that anyone looking for a rounded set of perspectives on globalization should read. [source]

Leah Lizarondo

These books propelled me to want to work on a social enterprise and underscored my passion for making a difference in food policy. I believe we can build an innovative company that has deep social impact. That we can use the same mindsets that single bottom-line companies have to build successful triple and quadruple bottom-line companies. It is the holy grail -- for your work to present the challenge to be creative, innovative, quick on a daily basis but also at the end of the day, the knowledge that you are making a real difference in people's lives. I feel extremely fortunate to be in this position right now. [source]

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83

Principles of Macroeconomics 2e

Openstax

4.0

84

State and Revolution

V I Lenin

4.0

2011 Reprint of 1932 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. "State and Revolution" (1917) describes the role of the State in society, the necessity of proletarian revolution, and the theoretic inadequacies of social democracy in achieving revolution. It describes the inherent nature of the State as a tool for class oppression, a creation

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85

The Road to Ruin: The Global Elite's Secret Plan for the Next Financial Crisis

James Rickards

4.0

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86

The Monero Standard: We're Not Here For The Income, We're Here For The Outcome

Michael Fitzgerald

4.0

87

Risk and Reward

Ben Carlson

4.0

"One of the greatest financial writers of this era" –Downtown Josh Brown, star of CNBC's The Halftime Report, co-founder and CEO of Ritholtz Wealth Management***********Let me tell you the secret to investing. There is no secret...When investing your hard-earned money, risk and reward are attached at the hip. There are no shortcuts. Getting rich overnight is a pipe dream.Author, podcast host, and

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88

India's Road to Transformation: Why Leadership Matters

Jagdish N. Sheth and Gyanendra Singh

4.0

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89

The Holy Grail of Macroeconomics: Lessons from Japan's Great Recession

Richard C. Koo

F.A. Hayek

4.0

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100

Economics for the IB Diploma

Paul Hoang, Sean Wray, and Tanusankar Chakraborty

4.0